Ashes to Ashes
by xxphoenixfallenxx
Summary: Post-Avengers. Loki has been imprisoned, and reveals to Thor he has left a daughter on Earth, one that is dangerous and needs looking after. She is the only thing he has ever truly loved. But what if she cannot control the demon lurking within her? Will Thor be able to protect her from Odin, from SHIELD, and from the demon trying to destroy the world? Rate M for violence and sex.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, actions, and/or all Thor related content. Talin is mine.**

**Now readers, this is post-Avengers. I am using my own ideas, so some things may be incorrect compared to the real story of Thor and Loki. Enjoy!**

Loki stared at Thor, trying so desperately to tell him, to warn him, but the metal mask would not permit him to speak. He had tried to tell Thor, but he would not listen. He had forced Loki's mouth shut as the mask was forced on him. Now, they waited in Odin's private counseling chambers. Loki's magic had been suppressed by metal cuffs that were clamped around his wrists. Thor sighed heavily, glaring at Loki from time to time.

"I fear your punishment will be terrible, brother." Thor said absently.

Loki mumbled something, wishing he could speak. No one would allow that now. They did not trust his "silver tongue" even if he could not cast a spell with his magic repressed. He would not be able to defend himself against his father's accusations, true as they might be.

Thor suddenly turned from him, taking a few steps away to look out over the balcony. Loki's hand flung up, trying to find the clasp to remove the mask. However, he had not been aware of the guards who had entered behind him. His arms were yanked down to his sides, and he was held tightly as the side door to the chamber opened.

Odin walked in slowly, eye never leaving Loki as he made his way to his seat before them. He motioned for the guard to leave.

"I see you have successfully saved Earth and retrieved your brother, Thor." Odin said calmly, still not removing his gaze from Loki.

"Aye. With some help, of course." Thor answered proudly.

"Yes, the humans are as remarkable as you have spoken of, Thor. Now, how much damage has Loki caused?" Odin asked, a twinge of disgust in his voice.

"There was a considerable amount of damage done to one of Earth's cities, Manhattan. There were many unfortunate deaths." Thor answered remorsefully.

Odin sighed, rubbing a hand over his eye.  
"Loki… you have shamed me greatly. You have brought ill views to the house of Odin. You abused your powers, nearly destroyed two worlds, and very nearly had me killed! You are a disgrace to the title Odinson!" Odin roared, his rage boiling.

Loki glared, unable to spit out that he was not a son of Odin, nor a brother to Thor, as he had already done time and time again. Yet he knew Odin knew his response.

"It is only my love for you that will save you from the exact punishment for these crimes, death! That shall be the only mercy I offer you. You will be confined to your chambers until I see fit to release you, and do not think that will be any time soon. So help me, Loki, if you try to escape, you will be executed! Do you understand?" Odin boomed.

Loki glared at him, nearly shaking from the hatred that coursed through his veins. His love for his son? Loki would have spat at him if he could. Slowly, he jerked his head in a single nod. Odin looked to Thor for a second, nodded, and with a flourish of his robes was up and out of the room. Thor took hold of his brother's arm, and forced him to walk.

Once inside Loki's wing of the palace, he felt a force pressing down on his, barely noticeable but strong all the same. His father had placed a spell over it, acting like the metal cuffs did, making him unable to use his powers. Once in his bedroom, Thor released him, and then removed the metal mask from his face. Like took a few deep breaths, free from the muffled air of the mask. Then, he grabbed Thor by the shoulders. Thor was at first alarmed, and shoved his brother away.

"You surely cannot be trying to fight me already, brother? You know I am far stronger than you, especially without your powers." Thor proclaimed, smirking slightly.

"Thor, you must listen to me!" Loki said in hushed tones, glancing about.

"Your silver tongue stopped working on me long ago, brother. You must serve your sentence. I will not go against father on this." Thor said strongly, his anger returning.

Loki had never been able to understand Thor's love for the humans. They were petty, greedy, selfish and loathsome creatures, only caring for themselves. He had gone to Earth himself, far before he had tried to destroy it. Long before Thor had been banished there.

"I had no choice but to attempt to destroy Earth, but I have no time to explain that now. Thor, please, you must listen to me!" Loki said, hating himself for having to plead to Thor.

"Had no choice? I did not see anyone forcing you to lead an army to Earth? You would have not stopped until every human was killed!" Thor burst out, shoving Loki against the wall, holding him tightly by the shoulders.

"Listen to me fool!" Loki roared, grabbing Thor's massive forearms.

"I will not listen to your lies any longer, Loki! I've had enough of your tricks. I am tired of believing your stories." Thor growled, and turned away, about to storm out.

"I have a daughter." Loki said quietly, so quietly he barely heard himself.  
Cold ice ran through his veins as Thor froze midstep and twisted to face him.

"What?" Thor asked quietly, hushed, shock clear in his expression.

Loki nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. He had remembered his own shock, his own horror, when Heimdall had come to him to inform him of the birth of his daughter.

"Does father know?" Thor asked quietly, returning to Loki's side.

"No, and he cannot! Thor, please, listen to me. If father learned of her existence, he would send an army to kill her. Thor, she is my daughter, I love her. Please, I need your help." Loki croaked, feeling a sickening helplessness wash over him.

"Why would father have her killed? I know he has warned us about mixing with mortals, but he has never killed any children brought by it." Thor said quietly.

"He warned us for good reason." Loki breathed. "Have you heard the tale on Earth, of a creature that could never die? The bird, others called it a demon, or a goddess cast away, the Phoenix." Loki asked shakily.

"Aye, I had heard the stories." Thor replied apprehensively. "What has that to do with your child?"

"The Phoenix was once a bird, and every so many years it would burn alive, and rise anew from its own ashes. However, it soon discovered the world no longer accepted it, and many set out to destroy it. So, she turned herself into a human form, a very beautiful woman. And whenever she bore a child, the Phoenix would pass from one body to the next. However, she did not realize that becoming human would create difficulties. With every new child, every new body, the Phoenix grew weaker while the human side grew stronger." Loki explained slowly.

"Father knew creatures like her exist, hide, in the humans. He knew that they were too weak to pose threat. But if one of these creatures were to mix with a god…" Loki broke off.

He prayed he could trust Thor. He loved his daughter, his Talin. She was the only thing he had ever truly loved. Now he needed Thor, needed him more than ever.

"You mean to say, that by breeding with this beast, you gave its powers back?" Thor gasped.

"You speak of your human, Jane, with such devotion. I discovered such a woman. Do you not remember, when I went to Earth two decades ago, to find if any humans still prayed to us? All I found was disgusting creatures, filthy beings that lived only to please themselves. Until I met her. It was not love, Thor, but an attraction, the likes of which I could not resist." Loki admitted.

She had been like fire to a moth. Long radiant red hair, red like blood. Warm bronze skin, the most incredible golden eyes, red lips. He had been lost the moment he laid eyes on her. Never had he felt lust, never wanting, for any woman of Asgard. And for many nights he found himself in bed with her. A year later he was informed of the birth of his daughter, and the girl's mother, whose name he had never learned, had died in giving birth.

"I did not know what the woman had hiding inside her. And by mixing my god powers with her Phoenix blood, the child has been given its powers. And I fear Thor, if Odin or those pathetic SHIELD people find her, they will destroy her. She's a good girl, Thor. But she has had trouble controlling the demon. I have gone there, so many times throughout the years, to help her. But I fear, if I cannot go to her, she will be lost." Loki said, dread in his voice.

"What are you asking of me?" Thor asked.

"Only to protect her, Thor. Keep her safe from Odin, from SHIELD. Let her know I am ok, that I have not died. I fear for her. But you must also know this, Thor. The demon knows its powers are back, and it wants to punish the humans. It wants to rule the Earth. I fear my daughter may not be strong enough." Loki pleaded.

"Loki, if she is a threat to the world, I cannot allow her to-" Thor began.

"No! Thor, please! Please, she is not the demon! She is an innocent child, my little girl!" Loki burst out, feeling tears threaten him.

Thor stared at him, we covering his face.

"You truly care for her?" Thor asked, grasping his brother by the shoulders.  
Loki had never begged for a thing in his life, nor had he claimed favor in anything. Thor could see Loki's eyes begin to turn red, feel fear rippling off of him. Loki nodded a few times, dropping his head, staring at his feet as if defeated. Thor knew there would be terrible consequences, for both of them, if his father discovered they had been hiding the girl.

"Then, dear brother, she is my niece, and I shall protect her as such." Thor said assuringly.

Loki looked up, his green eyes wide. And for the first time in a long time, he embraced Thor, crushing him.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Don't own Thor, Loki, or any other such related content. Talin is mine**.

Loki sat at the edge of his bed, fidgeting with one of his many velvet bookmarks. Talin had conjured them for him, and he could still remember the look of pure joy on her face when it had been successful. She had many of his talents.

Loki felt a bitter sadness fill him. Her birthday was in just a few days, and he would not be able to see her. He had been there for every single one. He smiled as he remembered her fifth birthday. For weeks and weeks beforehand, she had battered him with requests for a pony. Apparently it was a very popular demand of many girls on Earth.

So, on her fifth birthday, he conjured a pony. The pony would not age, and needed no maintenance, no food. It was there to please her. She had squealed with joy, but instead of running to it to attack it like he had expected, she ran to him instead. He lifted her into his arms, and she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you daddy." She said sweetly, and kissed his cheek.

Loki pressed a cold hand to his cheek, his smile fading. He could only imagine the pain she had experienced when he had been lost in the universe, when he had fallen from the BiFrost. _You let go._ His conscience snarled at him. He hated himself every moment for that single decision. In that moment, in all the desperation and pain he had felt, he had forgotten everything that was dear to him, and he had let go.

On that first day, when he had finally made it to Earth, he was in no rush to get everything moving along. He had gone straight to her once everything was settled enough. She had dove into his arms, nearly crushing him, and she had cried. He hated it when she cried.

He still hated the way she had looked at him, not understanding, when he explained where he'd been, and what was going to happen.

"You want to take over Earth? But why?" She had asked.

They'd argued over it, and she had thrown him, quite literally, back through the portal he had used to get there. It amazed him sometimes, still, her gifts. He had never been able to reopen a portal once it had closed, only created a new one, or used ones already present. Portals were complicated things, yet she knew them as if she had created them all.

He missed her terribly, even her wild temper that would beat Thor's any day. Loki wondered how Thor fared on Earth with his daughter.

Thor landed heavily, staggered, and struggled to catch his balance. This form of travel was much less smooth than that of the BiFrost. He wondered how Loki could do it as often as he said he has. His landing kicked up a cloud of sand that attacked his airways, and he took a moment to cough and clear his lungs. He squinted at his surroundings.

He was surrounding by frozen orange waves of blazing sand. The wind blew erratically, but it was scorching hot, even for Thor. He could only imagine how miserable Loki was when he came here, being a frost giant. But Loki had told him Talin was most comfortable here, alone in the heat. Now where was the girl?

Out of nowhere, a flash of black and red erupted before him, and he barely had time to block a dagger as it slashed at his chest. The girl crouched low before him, holding the dagger with the prowess of one perfectly knowledged in the art of combat. She glared at him, before she suddenly froze.

She had the same thick black hair as Loki, with the same high cheek bones, pale skin with the glow all gods and demigods possessed, and eerie green eyes, though hers had golden flecks that seemed to almost dance. She had a well toned figure. She was a beautiful creature.

"Thor?" She spoke the single word, a question and accusation all at once.

"Aye. Your father sent me-" He began.

"Shhhh!" She spat at him, glancing around.

Her eyes scanned every inch of the horizon around them, before she flicked her hand at him once to follow. She took five steps, and suddenly disappeared. Thor stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the spot.

"Are you coming or do you wanna stay out there and fry?" She questioned hotly, from the spot she had vanished.

Thor took two hesitant strides, and was suddenly in a large room. It looked like a modern dwelling of Earth, the "living room" as Jane had referred to it. There as a kitchen off to the left, and a hallway at either side of the other end of the room. He glanced behind him, staring at the sand.

"The house is glamoured to mimic the landscape. Surely my father has played such a prank on you, hiding things in plain sight?" Her voice was sarcastic.

Thor finally found her in the dim light, in the kitchen. She approached him and shoved a glass of water into his hand.

"Drink it. Trust me." She said seriously, and then seated herself on one of the couches of the living room.

A moment later he suddenly felt as if he'd been wandering the desert for days without a drop of water. What was this? Thor chugged the entire glass down in a second.

"The form of travel you just experiences does odd things to your body, sometimes. The most common is the sudden feeling of absolute dehydration. The others are... much less pleasant." She said absently, fidgeting with a loop of cloth at the bottom of her shorts.

"What has become of my father?" She asked after a moment.

"He has been imprisoned, for an indefinite amount of time, for his crimes against Asgard and Earth." Thor replied.

She stared at him, and her eyes had the same effect as Loki's. They saw him, saw everything, looked into him, and right through him.

"I see. He can't use his magic to escape?"

"No. Odin has blocked him from using his powers. That's why he sent me."

"To do what, exactly?" She asked hotly, crossing her arms.

"Protect you from SHIELD, and from Odin." Thor answered.

"So you're going to be living here?" She asked, sounding irritated.

"No, not exactly. I'm just taking Loki's place. I'll come every few days, make sure you are safe. Unless you feel it is better I stay?"

"No, by all means, I prefer unexpected visits." She groaned sarcastically, and leaned back, closing her eyes. "How long are you staying today, Thor?"

This girl was ridiculous. Thor felt himself becoming irritated with her quickly. He was here to protect her, yet she treated him with hostility, like he were a nuisance. They were family after all.

"We are _NOT _family, Thor. I'm sure my father has tried to get it through your thick skull a few times now."

Thor gawked at her. _That _was new.

"Yes, I can read minds. Well, hear thoughts is more accurate. It takes a lot of work to break into someone's mind. Now, answer my question."

Thor ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. What had Loki gotten him into?

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